Electric regulator



R. DAVIES.

ELECTRIC REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED RAY,9,1919.

1,374,285. Patehted Apr. 12,1921

Fig. 4.

XWWX WXMMI Rhys paviea INVENTUR ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT orrie RHYS DAVIES, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

ELECTRIC REGULATOR.

Application filed May 9, 1919. Serial No. 295,960.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RI-iYs DAvIns, a citi zen of the United States, residingat Fort lVayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to devices for regulating electrical current and its object is to provide a simple and economically constructed device which shall eiliciently regulate the supply of electrical current to various devices as electric lamps and heating devices. I In the accompanying drawings 1 have illustrated one application of the invention wherein the regulating mechanism is applied to a combined plug and socket adapted for the reception of an electric lamp or a cord attached to a plug, and in which draw- 1ngs- Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of the plug and socket provided with the invention; Fig.2 a plan view of the regulating mechanism; Fig. 3 a vertical cross-section of the regulating mechanism on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4 a fractional view of the resistance winding before insertion in the regulatin mechanism.

Feferring to the drawings 10 is the porcelain plug centrally apertured. to receive bolt 11 and i'nclosed by the usual screw shell 12, the shell passing under the porcelain and being apertured by cutting out the central portion and bending the same downwardly to form a connector 13. Bolt 11 passes through the aperture thus formed in the bottom of the shell. Connector 13 is projected through cap 14 0f suitable material, such as porcelain, the lower'projecting end of connector 13 being bent laterally to tie the shell and cap together and to make a contacting means for the regulating means about to be described. Cap 145 is formed withseveral apertures extending through it to provide ventilation for the regulating mechanism.

The regulating mechanism comprises a member 15 of insulating vmaterial, as porcelain, having an upstanding boss 16 formed thereon upon which is wound resistance coil 17 The member and boss are centrally apertured to receive bolt 11. The bolt also passes through the upper end of socket 18 and plate 19 insulated from the socket by insulation 20 supports the socketon the porcelain member. Nut 21 at the opposite end Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 12,1921.

of the bolt, when tightened, holds all the various parts between it and the head of the bolt in proper position. A portion 22 of the end of thesocket is bent upwardly and extends into a recess 22 formed in member v pied by the resistance coil and making contact with the winding preferably at the inner end thereof. Portion 23 is, therefore a connector between the winding or resistance coil and the shell of the socket.

The resistance coil is of peculiar formation. A suitable length of wire is wound on a strip or ribbon of insulation, preferably mica, as shown in Fig. l, and when fully wound on the strip, the winding together with another strip ofinsulation, preferably mica, is wound on-boss 16 so that between each layer of t'he-coil'there is a layer of insulation. Connector 23' is caused to make contact with the wire, and when the coil is finished the coil is held from unwinding by suitable means such as a wire 25 which is tiedv around, it a layer of the insulation being between the wire and the layer of wire forming the outermost winding of the coil.

A plate 26, preferably of porcelain, or other form of insulation bears on the top side of the resistance coil and'is centrally apertured to fit over boss 16. This plate is apertured at suitable points to receive contact pins 27 which are projected downwardly into the resistance coil and make contact with the wire thereof at the selected points. The contact pins are arranged, preferably, in a curved line relatively to the radius of the resistance coil'and plate 26, the outermost pin being adapted to out into the electrical circuit of the device substantially all of the resistance coil and theinnermost pin 27 having engagement with the inner end of the resistance coil. Contact 28 is revolubly supported on boss 16 above plate 26 and is adapted, when rotated, to engage successively contact pins 27 to place in the electrical circuit more and more or less and less of the resistance coil according to the direction the same is rotated. This movable contact engages at all times conductor 13. A chain 29 is secured to one end of contact 28 and its opposite ends are pro jected through suitable apertures 30 suitably positioned in shell 31 suitably carried by cap 14;, the projecting ends of the chain being available to the user for rotating the contact 28 in either direction.

Connector, or conductor 23 preferably engages contact pin 2" so that when contact 28 engages the latter pin the full electrical current flows to the electric lamp or other device connected to the socket.

Assuming the device to be installed in a wall socket and having an electric lamp in socket 18 and contact 28 in engagement with contact pin 27 the electric lamp bur'ns with full brilliancy, the electrical circuit therefor being from screw shell 12 through conductor 13, contact 28, contact pin 27, conductor 28, the shell of socket 18, the electric lamp and bolt 11 back to the plug and the wall socket. Should the user desire to reduce the brilliancy of the electric lamp he pulls outwardly on the proper end of the chain to cause the contact 28 to rotate, the contact engaging successively the contact pins 27 until the desired degree of brilliancy of the lamp is attained, the reduction, of course, being due to the cutting into of the electrical circuit of more and more of the resistance as the successive contact points are engaged by contact 28.

Apertures 14L in cap 14 are suitably arranged therein to provide ventilation for the parts beneath the cap, since heat is necessarily generated in the resistance coil when in use.

What I claim is:

1. In an electric regulator a resistance coil, a series of contacts, on the coil having connection with the resistance at selected points thereof and arranged ina curved line extending outwardly from the center of the coil, a movable contact adapted to be moved into successive engagement with the contacts, and an electrical circuit having connection with the movable contact and with the resistance coil. I

2. In an electric regulator a fixed member, a resistance coil supported by the fixed member, a series of contact pins projecting into the resistance coil and having connection therewith at selected points, said contact pins being arranged in a curved line extending outwardly from the center of the coil, a movably mounted contact adapted to be moved into engagement with the contacts successively, a conductor having connection with'the movable contact and a conductor having connection with the resistance coil, the parts being so arranged that by the movement of the movable contact into successive engagement with the contacts more and more or less and less of the resistance is placed in the electrical circuit between the two conductors.

3. In an electric regulator a resistance coil consisting of a single length of wire wound on a ribbon of insulation, the ribbon with the wire wound thereon being wound in superimposed layers with insulating material between each layer, means to support the coil, a series of contacts engaging the wire at selected points and projecting therefrom, a contact adapted to be moved into successive engagement with the contacts, a conductor having connection with the movable contact and a conductor having connection with the resistance coil.

4-. In an electric regulator a fixed member, a resistance coil supported by the fixed member and consisting of a single length of wire wound on a ribbon of insulation, the ribbon with the wire thereon being wound in superimposed layers, a series of contacts extending into the coil and making engagement with the wire at selected points thereof, a contact adapted to be moved across the contacts and to engage the same successively, a conductor having connection with the movable contact and a conductor connected to the inner end of the resistance coil.

5. In an electric regulator a fixed member, a resistance coil wound on and supported by the fixed member and consistin of a sin le length of wire wound on a strip, of insulation, the strip with the wire thereon being wound in superimposed layers with insulation between each layer, a plate having a series of apertures therein, contact pins in the apertures and extended into the resist ance coil and making engagement with the wire thereof at selected points,"said plate being formed of insulation material, a contact. movably mounted on the fixed member and adapted to be moved across the series of contact pins and to engage the same successively, a plug having electrical connection tothe movable contact, a socket having electrical connection to the inner end of the resistance coil, and a bolt extended through the socket, the fixed member and the plug adapted to secure the same in position and to form a conductor of electricity. a

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 1st day of May, 1919.

' RHYS DAVIES. 

